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Londonderry's 21-year-old Minecraft Mogul

Londonderry's 21-year-old Minecraft mogul By Owen Thomas BBC News NI



11 June 2018



In just three years, an 21-year-old Londonderry man has gone from stacking shelves at a supermarket to building an enviable brick-by-brick gaming enterprise.
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Jonathan Black was rotating stock in the Long's supermarket when he turned his Minecraft hobby into an award-winning business.



Blockception was created by the creator while studying for his A-levels 2015 that allows you to download and play with virtual Lego sets however you want.



In 2017, Microsoft has chosen Blockception as a partner. gamers can now access their marketplace to download the pre-made creations that they can then explore, edit and play within.



'Drive'



He explained that he was the son of self-employed parents, and has always felt the need to work for himself.



"It's simply the way I grew up in. being surrounded by business owners and entrepreneurs, so it's in my blood."



Minecraft is is known as a sandbox video game that allows players to build using a variety of different cubes in a 3D world.



Other activities include exploration the world, gathering resources and fighting.



Jonathan quickly realized he didn't want to be a part of any company other than himself. With the pressure of managing A-Levels and Long's work, it became obvious that he had to leave to focus on Blockception.



He added, "I was making more money from Minecraft than I was in for a few weeks at work. I wanted to make a change and try something new."



"It was much more thrilling to earn money, and I was doing it through my hobby."



Jonathan said that making a profession out of his favorite pastime was similar to winning a lottery, but his relationship with the game is more complicated.



He stated that "being being able to earn a full-time income from something you love is amazing, but it doesn’t become an obsession anymore, so you’re giving up one of your favourite pastimes.



"I would have played Minecraft several years ago in my free time, but it's much harder to enjoy it when it becomes your job."



Partnership with Microsoft



Before Microsoft expressed interest in the business, it was sustained by local projects such as CultureTECH however, job offers were not flooding in.



Jonathan said: "If Microsoft hadn't got involved, we would have had to think about other options for the long-term business plan.



"A week prior to when Microsoft approached us, we agreed to hand over the business to another company.



"Just one day prior to the handover, we got the email and everything kicked off.



"We were so close to moving away from Minecraft, it seems impossible to do so now."



Lost Civilisation



Microsoft released Lost Civilisation as a free download as part of their Christmas promotion. It was the map that kick-started the company's growth.



It has been downloaded more than 1 million times.



"It's an unfathomable number to comprehend and I'm trying to comprehend it in stadiums, for instance when you imagine a full capacity Wembley Arena, it's still more than ten," Jonathan said.



"It's just mind-boggling amounts and it's overwhelming, but it's a great experience and if people like playing our stuff too and are happy, then that's great."



Is Minecraft an option for a career?



Blockception staff have many skills that have helped them earn a living through the video game. This includes graphic designers as well as scriptwriters, programmers and voice actors. There are many opportunities to work for a long time in Minecraft through work in the creative industry.



Jonathan added: "As we expand, there will be more jobs available However, there's plenty of gaming competition.



"The past few decades have seen an increase in entry-level positions however, we'd played Minecraft for a while. I first started playing it when I was 14.



"We've spent a lot of time studying things from a consumer perspective , and we're now fully circled, from suppliers to players."



Despite the challenges Blockception ran into in its beginning days, Jonathan remains convinced that Minecraft isn't just a trend that is only passing.



He added, "I have great confidence that the product is in good hands."


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